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Theranos

theranos.com

21–30 of 127 posts

Re: Theranos

#21

Does this mean that I'll be able to walk in and order my own blood tests in the US, without being extorted by a doctor? I see zero reason for me to be forced to schedule time with a doctor, pay her, just for her to "order" tests and have the results sent only to her, and then pay her again to read them back to me. I get regular liver checks due to medication I take. Being able to walk into a lab and download the resu…

This comment looks strange to me. While I'm pretty new in the US, I find the exact procedure you're describing quite easy. All I need to do is leave an online message for my doctor asking to prescribe the test. They usually answer within hours - and I can go to the nearest lab. That, of course, given that I actually need these tests done and don't just fall on my doctor out of the sky. It sounds like you have a known condition so the doctor should have no problem figuring out why you're asking for a test.

Time to change your healthcare provider, maybe?

Re: Theranos

#22
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just saying that clicking there you find an actual map.

It'd be nice to have the marker on a real pace though, rather than being plopped in a random spot.

I was going to write a response adding that adding a picture of the actual location would've been just as easy, instead I made a post about how I was going to make a post about how ready it'd be to use a snapshot of the actual location.

Re: Theranos

#23
post #15
post #9

Very interesting people on the Board of Directors. Former heavyweights in the diplomatic, intelligence and military government sectors (George Shultz, Senator Samuel Nunn, Henry Kissinger etc). No big names from the technology or VC space are mentioned however. Something big is brewing.

They'd be dead within the year without some hefty political backing. The FDA does not play nice with novelty, ask any biomedical startup founder.

With that kind of firepower (no pun intended) Ms. Holmes may be setting her sights on the larger World market. Lots of people to be helped beyond the borders of the USA.

Could she become the Elon Musk of the healthcare sector?

Re: Theranos

#24

Theranos is a medical laboratory that appears to have developed new methods of measuring lab values in small sample sizes more quickly. This is interesting because it means that instead of a traditional blood draw with a needle and vial requiring a trained phlebotomist and healthy veins, physicians can use blood collected from a finger stick -- a far less invasive and painful procedure. Additionally, it appears that…

With the volumes they're dealing with and the automation they tout I bet they're using integrated microfluidic chips with built in sensor technology. That's so cool and it makes sense given the time they spent in stealth mode since that's a rather new technology and getting it certified must've taken some time. Looking a patents and bingo, they have patents on microfluidic techniques. Awesome. Eventually they might have a medlab in a box -- neat.

Re: Theranos

#26

Does this mean that I'll be able to walk in and order my own blood tests in the US, without being extorted by a doctor? I see zero reason for me to be forced to schedule time with a doctor, pay her, just for her to "order" tests and have the results sent only to her, and then pay her again to read them back to me. I get regular liver checks due to medication I take. Being able to walk into a lab and download the resu…

Is that how it works in the US?

I can get any blood test I want in Poland, everyday, as long as I pay for it. You need a prescription for procedures like X-rays, which have possible adverse effects, or for blood tests if you want them to be covered by the state health insurance.

Re: Theranos

#27
post #11

The website design hides the message in frills and imagery, but the essence appears to be: Faster/cheaper blood-testing, via a smaller/quicker samples (a fingertip-prick rather than needle-stick).

Your summary is worth a thousand web sites.

Re: Theranos

#28
Wow...one of their board members is Henry Kissinger - http://www.theranos.com/our-company

I wonder how they pulled that off.

This is interesting....I wonder what the technology behind this looks like. Is it really that difficult to achieve 'instant, accurate' results?

Why is that? Is it because the traditional way is to just put a blood sample on a fungus and see what happens?

Re: Theranos

#29
post #9

Very interesting people on the Board of Directors. Former heavyweights in the diplomatic, intelligence and military government sectors (George Shultz, Senator Samuel Nunn, Henry Kissinger etc). No big names from the technology or VC space are mentioned however. Something big is brewing.

Speculation: it's nice for civilians, but for monitoring military personnel their systems could be enormously useful.

That and the veteran health care cost reduction potential.

Re: Theranos

#30
Am I the only one here who thinks all those people imaged on the web site have really weird eyes?

Creepy.

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